SQL Server on a Cluster
Experiences
MikeFITZSIMON
SYSTEMSARCHITECT
FITZSIMON IT CONSULTING PTY LTD
Why use SQL Server on a Cluster?
High Availability
Fault Tolerance (?)
Failback
Manageability
Scalability (?)
Hardware Architecture – Single Tier
Web Server
Business Logic
COM Components
SQL Server
Hardware Architecture – Two Tier
SQL Server Database Server
Web Server
Business Logic COM Components
Hardware Architecture – Three Tier
SQL Server Database Server
Business Logic COM
Components
Web
Server
Hardware Architecture – Scalable Three Tier
SQL Server Database Server
Application Server Farm
Web Server Farm
H/w Architecture -
OzEvents.com
Router distributes http requests
2-Server Web Farm
(Test site on one server)
SQL Server
(Production & Test databases)
Exchange Server
Router
Web Server 1
IIS, MTS Production &
Test
Web Server 2
IIS, MTS Production
SQL Server
SQL7 databases, OzEvents1, OzTest1
Exchange
Exchange 5.5 Mailboxes
Images
Router
Web Server 1
IIS, MTS Production &
Test
Web Server 2
IIS, MTS Production
SQL Server
SQL7 databases, OzEvents1, OzTest1
Exchange
Exchange 5.5 Mailboxes
Images
Hardware Architecture – Scalable Three Tier
SQL Server Database Server
Single point of failure?
Application Server Farm
Web Server Farm
Server A Server B LAN
Hardware Architecture -
Cluster Server
Two or more Servers
Private LAN
(heartbeat, <500ms ping)
Shared SCSI bus (separate to System SCSI bus)
Applications & Data on RAID
Private LAN
RAID Applications & Data Shared SCSI
SCSI SCSI
IMS Locations
!
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$
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!
!
!
!!
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Cluster Servers in each State Office
Frame Relay
Service
High Availability Cluster Servers
IBM Netfinity 5500 Servers
Physical machines named
\\Heaven and \\Hell
Virtual machines named
\\BneSQL and \\BneIIS
Required 4 IP addresses !
High Availability Cluster Servers
RAID-1 Mirrored internal disk drives
Can be used as an emergency backup during a system upgrade
High Availability Cluster Servers
External RAID array
StorageTek
Raid-1 9Gb Quorum Disk
(persistent arbitration)
Raid-5 18 Gb Data disks
High Availability Cluster Servers
External RAID array:
Dual Power Dual Power
supplies supplies
Dual Network Dual Network
adaptors
adaptors
Server A Server B LAN
Hardware Architecture -
Cluster Server
Normal Active/Active configuration
Server A: IIS & MTS Resource Groups
Server B: SQL Resource Group
Web pages and SQL MDF files on RAID
Private LAN
RAID Applications & Data Shared SCSI
SCSI SCSI
Multi-Node Clusters
Still need only two NICs per machine (one for public network, one for private network)
Need a Hub
To support at least 4-nodes, need
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition or Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition
Windows Clustering is installed by default;
configure a cluster by starting
Cluster Administrator or Cluster.exe
Writing your own
Cluster-Aware Application
LooksAlive
(By default, SQL calls this every 5 seconds)
IsAlive
(By default, SQL calls this every 60
seconds)
Clustering Resources
Quorum Drive Configuration Information http://support.microsoft.com/?id=280345
Available Features in Windows Server 2003 Clusters http://support.microsoft.com/?
id=278007
Step by step guide to install a 2000 Cluster:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techi
nfo/planning/server/clustersteps.asp
Questions
Mike Fitzsimon
Mike@Fitzsimon.com.au
